Consider the following statements:
- 1.In India, the Himalayas are spread over five States only.
- 2.Western Ghats are spread over five States only.
- 3.Pulicat Lake is spread over two States only.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (b) 3 only
Only statement 3 is correct: Pulicat Lake lies in exactly two States, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The Himalayas cover many more than five States, and the Western Ghats run through six.
- ✗ 1. The Indian Himalayan Region is officially counted as twelve States, taking in Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura, plus two districts of Assam and Darjeeling and Kalimpong in West Bengal.
- ✗ 2. The Western Ghats spread over six States: Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu. Gujarat is the northern end of the range and is the easiest to forget.
- ✓ 3. Pulicat, the second largest brackish-water lagoon in India, lies partly in Andhra Pradesh and partly in Tamil Nadu.
Remember · Western Ghats: six States (Gujarat to Tamil Nadu). Himalayas: many more than five. Pulicat Lagoon: two States, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
Sources
- PIB (NITI Aayog): NITI Aayog constitutes Himalayan State Regional Council ↗ “the Himalayan Region which consists of the twelve States namely Jammu &Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, two districts of Assam”
- PIB (MoEFCC): States express desire to expedite early notification of Ecologically Sensitive Area of Western Ghats ↗ “identified geographical areas falling in the six States of Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu may be declared as Ecologically Sensitive Areas.”
- Government of Andhra Pradesh (Tirupati District): Pulicat Lake ↗ “Pulicat Lake is the second largest brackish water lagoon in India spread over the two States of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2017, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·